The present invention relates to a mounting structure for retractably mounting a pop-up strobe on an upper portion of a camera body.
Conventionally, single lens reflex cameras having a retractable pop-up strobe on the upper portion of a camera body, e.g. above a pentagonal prism, have been well-known. Such a pop-up strobe generally has a strobe case accommodating a light emitting unit. The strobe case typically has a pair of legs, which are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance such that the strobe case straddles the pentagonal prism and is mounted on a camera body via the legs. Specifically, the end portions of the legs are pivotably secured to a decorative cover of the camera body using shafts disposed perpendicularly to the optical axis of a photographing lens system. With this structure, the strobe case is rotatable about the shafts, and the light emission unit is located between a retracted position where the light emitting surface is retracted within the camera body and an operable position where the light emitting surface is popped-up from the camera body. The shafts used for mounting the strobe case are inserted in mounting holes formed at the end portions of the legs from outside of the strobe case.
In the conventional pop-up strobe, the legs are relatively thin, and the shafts are inserted through holes formed on such thin end portions. Due to the structure, the mounting structure does not provide high stiffness or rigidity.
Further, since the shafts are inserted from outside of the strobe case, in view of appearance, a strobe cover should be attached so that the shafts are not exposed to the outside. The strobe cover also functions to protect portions of the light emitting unit other than the light emitting surface thereof. It should be noted that, due to the structure described above, if the strobe cover is attached to the strobe case before the shafts are inserted, it becomes difficult to mount the legs on the camera body using the shafts. Therefore, the strobe cover is usually attached after the strobe case is mounted on the camera body.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved mounting structure of a pop-up strobe on a camera body, according to which assembling process of mounting the strobe on the camera body can be simplified. A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting structure of a pop-up strobe, with which relatively high stiffness and rigidity can be achieved.
For the object, according to the invention, there is provided a strobe mounting structure for retractably mounting a pop-up strobe on an upper portion of a single lens reflex camera having a pentagonal prism. The pop-up strobe has a strobe case which is movable between an operable position and a retracted position. The strobe case further has a pair of legs, which astride the pentagonal prism. Each of the pair of legs has a U-shaped cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof. The strobe case is rotatably mounted on the upper portion of the single lens reflex camera by a shaft penetrating through opposing walls of each of the pair of legs.
With this structure, since each leg has a U-shaped cross section, and the shaft is inserted through both walls of each of the legs, relatively high stiffness and rigidity can be obtained.
Optionally, the opening of each of the pair of legs is directed outside a camera body when the strobe case is located in the retracted position. A strobe cover covering substantially an outlined shape of the strobe case and pair of legs is attached to the strobe case. Portions of the strobe case cover the pair of legs and the pair of legs form box-like structures, respectively.
According to this structure, the assembling process can be simplified.
Since each leg has a box-like structure, further strength can be obtained.
Further optionally, the upper portion of the camera may be provided with a decorative plate, and the strobe case may be mounted on the camera body via the decorative plate.
In this case, an end of at least one of the shafts penetrating the opposing walls of one of the pair of legs may be fitted in a shaft receiving recess formed on the decorative plate, and a fixing member may be secured onto the decorative plate such that the shaft receiving recess and the fixing member rotatably support the end of the at least one of the shafts.
Optionally, the fixing member may be provided with a hook member used for holding the strobe case at the retracted position.
In the above structure, at least one of the pair of legs may be formed with a groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the pair of legs and having a predetermined length. The strobe mounting structure may further include at least one link arm having first and second pins at end portions thereof. The first pin may be slidably inserted in the groove, and the second pin is rotatably supported on the decorative plate.
Optionally, a pin receiving recess may be formed on the decorative plate, and the second pin may be rotatably fitted in the pin receiving recess. Further, the fixing member may prevent the second pin from being dropped out of the pin receiving recess. Furthermore, the second pin may be rotatably supported by the pin receiving recess and the fixing member. The fixing member prevents the end of the at least one of the shafts from being dropped out of the shaft receiving recess, and the shaft receiving recess and the fixing member rotatably support the at least one of the shafts.